Li Mingzhu took out two hundred yuan from her pocket.
Her parents stared wide-eyed.
Duan Cuilu immediately took the money into her hand. "Mingzhu, someone really bought your painting?"
"Second Aunt, I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?"
Duan Hongxing said, "The person who bought the painting is a big boss who drives a Santana."
"Do you know how much a Santana costs? 238,000!" Duan Hongxing held up three fingers.
Even in the provincial capital with the best economy in the province, there aren't many Santanas priced over 200,000 yuan.
Li Mingzhu's parents were already seven or eight parts convinced.
"Mingzhu, what exactly happened?" Li Kefan asked seriously, touching his glasses.
The couple worked in a light bulb factory, earning a combined salary of less than 500 yuan.
The fact that my daughter's paintings can sell for two hundred yuan shows that she has touched on a blind spot in their knowledge.
Li Mingzhu couldn't lie, so she immediately blushed and stammered, unsure of what to say.
"Let me explain," Duan Hongxing said with a slight smile.
"He was a very young boss, from Ping'an County, who ran a wholesale stationery business and partnered with someone to open a video arcade."
“Mingzhu and I were sketching in People’s Park. He drove under the banyan tree and made a wish, and then he took a liking to Mingzhu’s painting.”
He also said that if Mingzhu develops in this direction, a painting could sell for hundreds of thousands of yuan in the future.
"Second Aunt, Uncle, he suggested that you enroll Mingzhu in a winter vacation painting class."
In the end, Duan Hongxing secretly gave Li Mingzhu a wink.
"Dad, Mom," Li Mingzhu said, forcing herself to speak, "I'm not very smart, and I really can't improve my grades."
"I won't go to art classes, please give me one or two hours of painting time every day. I love painting," she said weakly.
The air was very quiet.
After a long silence, Duan Cuilu shook her head. "Mingzhu, this is unreliable. Can you really support yourself by painting?"
Although two hundred yuan is a lot of money, Duan's mother could only regard this accidental event as luck and not take it seriously.
Duan Hongxing smiled and said, "Second Aunt, the most important thing for a girl is to marry into a good family."
"Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting?" Mother Duan glared fiercely at her nephew.
She agreed with that statement, but couldn't say it aloud.
“Mingzhu,” Li Kefan said with a wry smile, “Forget about the painting class. We don’t have the spare money, and you don’t have the time.”
Experimental High School is one of the most competitive schools in the province, with only one day off per month.
The students are among the most competitive in the province, studying intensely and spending holidays at home on their own.
"Mingzhu, how about I give you an hour of painting time every day?" Li Kefan said.
In the end, he still felt sorry for his daughter.
Li Mingzhu nodded repeatedly, tears falling again.
At this point, the atmosphere began to become harmonious.
Duan Hongxing was the happiest.
He was a poor student with no talent for learning and knew the pain of being forced to study by his parents.
After the family finished lunch, the couple became increasingly suspicious of the matter; it was two hundred yuan!
Although their daughter's paintings were indeed beautiful, they felt they weren't worth two hundred.
After discussing it, the couple decided to go to People's Park to investigate, so they set off on their bicycles.
Arriving at the banyan tree in People's Park, I saw an old man selling wishing ribbons; he was the same one who did business with Wang Peng.
"Hello, big sister." Li Kefan stepped forward to greet her.
"Hello comrade, would you like to make a wish?" The woman took out a ribbon from her basket.
Li Kefan waved his hand and laughed, "Big sister, let me ask you, wasn't there someone who drove a car here this morning?"
"Yes, I have."
"That young man is very young, at most seventeen or eighteen years old, about 1.78 meters tall, and very good-looking."
"He's very generous; he actually spent two hundred yuan to buy several paintings. He really has money to burn, hehe."
At this point, a hint of wariness appeared on the woman's face. "Who are you? Why are you asking about him?"
Duan Cuilu hurriedly said, "Big sister, he's my daughter's friend. Judging from his accent, is he from our provincial capital?"
“No, absolutely not,” the woman laughed. “His accent is from Ping’an County, because I’m from Ping’an County, so I can tell.”
Duan Cuilu nodded; this matched the story her nephew had told her.
The woman added, "Finally, the girl who sold paintings painted another portrait of the young man without charging him any money."
"Thank you, big sister," Li Kefan said.
They chatted for a few more minutes, then the couple rode their bicycles home.
Back at the light bulb factory's residential compound, I locked my bicycle in the shed.
"Old Li, do you think this is normal?" Duan Cuilu said. "Rich people aren't stupid. Could he have other motives for buying Mingzhu's painting?"
"What's his intention?" Li Kefan shook his head and said, "I've been thinking about it all the way here, and I think that person must like Mingzhu's paintings."
"Why?" Duan Cuilu asked hurriedly.
"Your daughter is of average looks and height. Would a young boss who drives a Santana like Mingzhu?" Li Kefan said with a smile.
"Pah! How could you dislike your daughter?" Duan Cuilu chuckled.
The two slowly went upstairs.
Duan Cuilu suddenly sighed, "If only that small business owner really liked Mingzhu."
Hongxing is right. We push Mingzhu to go to university so she can marry into a good family in the future, right?
...
At this time, Wang Peng arrived at Jiajia Stationery Factory and ordered a batch of stationery according to the list.
Factory director Zhao Delai invited Wang Peng to dinner, and the two casually found a restaurant to have a bowl of mutton soup.
After finishing his meal, Wang Peng drove back to the steel mill's residential compound to say goodbye to Chen Yinghao and his wife.
"Xiaopeng, since you're here, why don't you stay a few more days?" Liu Yili said.
"Auntie, I still have a business to run at home, so I really can't let it interfere with my work," Wang Peng said.
"Old Liu, don't try to persuade me anymore, business is the priority," Chen Yinghao said. "Xiao Peng, after Qing Shu and Xiao Fang get married, you should stay in the provincial capital for a few more days."
“Okay.” Wang Peng readily agreed, “I’ll definitely spend a few more days with you then, and we’ll celebrate the New Year here this year.”
The elderly couple were very happy to hear this.
Wang Peng said goodbye to them and drove away from the steel mill's residential compound.
Passing by a small shop with a public telephone, I pulled over, took out my notebook, and found Li Mingzhu's phone number.
She didn't have a phone at home; this was the public phone at the convenience store downstairs from his house.
Wang Peng hesitated for a moment, shook his head, started the car, and drove back to the provincial capital.
"Hopefully, this 200 yuan will change her parents' minds a little and stop them from forcing her to study every day."
Trying hard to learn but failing to do so will make you increasingly depressed, and your nerves will be like a tightly strung string, driving you crazy.
He returned all the way to Xiaowangzhuang in Ping'an County and arrived at the gate of the Li family's house.
The door opened.
Li Mengjiao ran to the car door and said, "From yesterday until now, seven or eight people have called to order goods."
She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and said, "Call them back quickly and ask them how much they want."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Wang Peng sincerely thanked him. "Is Uncle Li home? Please tell him I need to use the car again."
Li Mengjiao shook her head, "My parents went to clean up the video arcade, you should go deliver the goods."
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